January

January 16, 2018 -
Beginning in 2018, fewer Minnesotans are expected to itemize their charitable contributions on their 2018 federal income tax returns, an outcome of changes in the federal tax law. This will result in more Minnesotans becoming eligible for Minnesota’s charitable deduction. Therefore, nonprofits are encouraged to work with their donors, volunteers, and communities to share information about Minnesota’s deduction
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November

November 29, 2017 -
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a plan to dismantle net neutrality rules that ensure equal access to the internet. These rules, established in 2015, prohibit high speed internet service providers from favoring, slowing, or blocking websites.
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April

April 27, 2017 -
Calls or emails are needed to urge our Congressional representatives to vote NO on the amendment to the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
A vote could take place Friday, April 28.
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April 26, 2017 -
You may have noticed that the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office updated its Charitable Organization and Charitable Trust reporting forms to include the question: “Is the organization incorporated pursuant to Minn. Stat. ch. 317A?” What exactly does this mean? And, how do you know whether to say “yes,” or “no?”
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February

December

December 3, 2014 -
After nearly 40 years of dreaming about a Mankato-based nonprofit center — where nonprofits, large and small, could share resources and ideas — the Mankato Area Foundation is about to make it happen.
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December 3, 2014 -
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits informs, promotes, connects and strengthens individual nonprofits and the nonprofit sector. MCN’s public policy agenda is designed to support and advance the role of the nonprofit sector, encourage civic participation and advance budget decisions which provide the resources necessary to support diverse community needs and assist those with the fewest resources.
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September

September 2, 2014 -
In its most recent session, the Minnesota legislature enacted legislation that allows for the formation of public benefit corporations. Public benefit corporations are not charitable or tax-exempt—they are commercial enterprises at their core—but in addition to general business purposes, they are formed to benefit the public and designed to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. In short, the form accommodates both a public mission and private commercial ambition.
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August

August 27, 2014 -
Members of the US Senate will be returning to Washington DC in September for just a few weeks before election season. We encourage them to act swiftly to pass the America Gives More Act—a package of policy changes that affect charities and donors that recently passed the US House with bi-partisan support.
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July 22, 2014 -
“As the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits has increased activities outside the Twin Cities, we learned that proximity counts for a lot,” says Pratt. “With support from the Blandin Foundation, MCN will now, for the first time, be able to have a permanent presence and point of contact in every part of Minnesota. We are thrilled to be establishing a regional office in Rochester this fall, and doing the same in Northwest Minnesota after the first of the year in 2015. MCN staff and board members will be holding a series of meetings with nonprofit leaders in each region to identify priorities and plan activities for the coming year, with more to come.”
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July 21, 2014 -
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private non-profit organizations of all sizes located in Minnesota as a result of heavy precipitation, flooding and hail on June 11-18, 2014.
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June

June 18, 2014 -
St. Paul, Minn. (June 18, 2014) – Verified Volunteers, the first-of-its-kind platform for volunteer background screening, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN), the largest state association of nonprofit organizations in the U.S., today announce a groundbreaking new partnership to make vetting volunteers faster, easier and less costly for Minnesota nonprofits and their volunteers.
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May

May 28, 2014 -
Minnesota has long had one of the lowest minimum wages in the nation. Minnesota’s current minimum wage of $6.15 per hour makes it one of four states with a minimum wage lower than the national rate of $7.25 per hour required under federal law. But this is all about to change.
In April, Governor Mark Dayton signed into law a bill boosting Minnesota’s minimum wage for the first time in roughly a decade. The law will become a reality for nonprofits this summer on August 1. Ultimately, the law will hike Minnesota’s minimum wage to $9.50 per hour by August 1, 2016 ($7.75 per hour for “small” employers) and will thereafter index the minimum wage to inflation.
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February

February 18, 2014 -
A joint release by the Minnesota Budget Project and Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
Updated February 2014
Minnesota’s health insurance landscape has been undergoing some significant improvements, leading to better and more affordable coverage for most Minnesotans. Although this is good news for thousands of the people nonprofits serve, it also raises many questions for nonprofit organizations wondering how these changes will impact them as employers.
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December

December 17, 2013 -
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits is deeply concerned about the use of city fees, for things such as street lights and street maintenance, levied against properties that are exempt from property tax as institutions of purely public charity. MCN is tracking this issue throughout the state and recently submitted the following comments to the city of Duluth, which is considering such a fee for street maintenance.
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December 3, 2013 -
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits informs, promotes, connects and strengthens individual nonprofits and the nonprofit sector. MCN’s public policy agenda is designed to support and advance the role of the nonprofit sector, encourage civic participation and advance budget decisions which provide the resources necessary to support diverse community needs and assist those with the fewest resources.
more...

November

November 13, 2013 -
Twin Cities Live will honor five local volunteers from hundreds of submissions from their viwers. Mandy Tadych, Executive Producer for Twin Cities Live says, “We were absolutely overhwlemed by the response from our viewers. We hope to make this an annual celebration of the people who are making our community a better place.” Tune in every day between 3:00-4:00 p.m. to Twin Cities Live as they feature these remarkable volunteers.
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September 26, 2013 -
Minnesotans will now be able to apply online to register to vote, or update their existing registration, thanks to an application developed by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and accessed at mnvotes.org . The online process will deliver convenience to voters, reduce errors in voter rosters, and deliver significant cost- and time-savings for local election officials.
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September 12, 2013 -
MCN is glad to share news about Minnesota's extraordinary nonprofit sector. With over 20,000 weekly visitors, MCN's website can be a great way for you to get the word out about your own organization's news, awards and advancements.
Member organizations are invited to submit organizational announcements to be featured in the Awards and Advancements section of MCN's website.
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September 6, 2013 -
The Unsession is a first-of-its-kind effort to make government better, faster, simpler and more efficient for people. We want to improve service, shorten wait times, eliminate old and outdated rules, and undo anything else that makes government nearly impossible for people to understand.
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September 4, 2013 -
Nonprofit organizations make outstanding contributions to Minnesota’s high quality of life. The Minnesota Nonprofit Awards honor these contributions.
The Minnesota Nonprofit Awards are a joint project of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) and MAP for Nonprofits. The awards include the Nonprofit Mission Awards in the categories of Innovation, Nonprofit Advocacy, Anti-racism Initiative and Responsive Philanthropy, and the Nonprofit Excellence Awards that honor overall excellence in management.
MCN and MAP are pleased to announce the 2013 Minnesota Nonprofit Mission and Excellence Award winners. Congratulations!
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August

August 21, 2013 -
Last month, Minnesota enacted legislation prohibiting employers—including non-profit organizations—from inquiring into or considering an applicant’s criminal history until (1) the applicant has been selected for an interview, or (2) in the event there is no interview, the applicant has received a conditional offer of employment.
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August 21, 2013 -
On May 24, 2013, Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill into law governing liability waivers in Minnesota, which essentially codifies the existing common law in Minnesota. As such, waivers will remain valid and enforceable in Minnesota under many circumstances.
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August 15, 2013 -
The highly anticipated second edition of "The Lobbying and Advocacy Handbook for Nonprofit Organizations" is now available. From Marcia Avner, senior fellow at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, this new edition gives detailed, step-by-step instructions for developing an effective plan and putting it into action.
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June

June 19, 2013 -
Congratulations to Trista Harris, Minnesota Council on Foundations’ new president.
We look forward continuing our partnership with MCF and its new leadership.
Thanks to Bill King for his years of dedication and hard work in the sector!
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January

January 15, 2013 -
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofit's policy director, Susie Brown, testified before the house tax committee on January 15, at the committee’s first hearing of the session. The tax committee looked at the question of conformity to federal tax law as one of their first objectives.
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December

December 3, 2012 -
MCN is pleased to announce the results of its recent board election. In November, the following board members were elected by MCN’s nonprofit members to serve three-year terms beginning January 1, 2013:
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October

October 3, 2012 -
Nonprofit organizations often do their work without much fanfare, but once a year, six organizations are selected and feted for their excellence, innovation, advocacy, anti-racism and responsive philanthropy.
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July

July 6, 2012 -
Saint Paul, Minn., July 6, 2012 -- Jeannie Fox, deputy public policy director of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN), has been selected to be a Legislative Fellow as part of a Department of State Professional Fellows Program. Jeannie and others will build on decades of sustained programs that connect people, institutions and communities to serve and to change lives across the hemisphere.
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April

April 3, 2012 -
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) announces a policy victory for nonprofits throughout the state. On April 3, the Governor signed House File 1384, a bill which limits the amount of time a nonprofit can be subject to “clawback” of funds when the funds are found to be related to donor fraud.
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January

January 25, 2012 -
Over 250 nonprofit and philanthropic leaders are expected to attend this annual event and hear directly from the Governor and the leaders of the legislative caucuses as they share their priorities for the session, identify issues they think will dominate the debate and give their ideas on how nonprofits can be a resource to decision-makers and their staff. The leaders will also have a chance to address questions from the audience.
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October

October 19, 2011 -
Six nonprofit leaders will join the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) board of directors. The six individuals were selected in a competitive election by the 2,000 nonprofit member organizations of MCN. The new board members began their three-year terms on January 1, 2011, joining the board of 23 members who aid the policy and direction of the statewide organization.
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September

September 12, 2011 -
Leaders of Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) member organization were invited today to vote for the MCN board of directors. The competitive election will shape the future of the membership association for years to come.
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September 7, 2011 -
Regardless of the current economic climate, nonprofit organizations have something to celebrate – the recognition of excellence, innovation, advocacy, anti-racism and responsive philanthropy that occurs annually through the Minnesota Nonprofit Excellence and Mission Awards. Sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) and MAP for Nonprofits, excellence and mission awards will go to six local organizations in the presence of more than a thousand of their nonprofit peers Oct. 7 at an awards ceremony held during the Minnesota Council of Nonprofit’s 25th annual state conference.
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June 8, 2011 -
As the Legislature and Governor Dayton continue their work toward finding a state budget compromise, Minnesota’s nonprofits face a combined uncertainty about future funding and looming shutdown of government services.
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May

May 23, 2011 -
Nonprofit organizations across Minnesota will see more uniform reporting requirements, thanks to a bill signed into law by Governor Dayton this week. House File 786, signed into law on May 18, 2011, changes the way Minnesota nonprofit organizations report compensation information on the Annual Report to the Attorney General’s office. The changes were designed to bring Minnesota into conformity with federal nonprofit reporting requirements on the IRS Form 990.
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May 3, 2011 -
On Tuesday morning, representatives of over twenty non-profit organizations, many of them members of Minnesota’s Voting Rights Coalition, held a State Office Building press briefing calling photo ID requirements contained in SF 509 and HF 210 “too restrictive and arbitrary to protect the voting rights of Minnesotans.”
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March 7, 2011 -
Today the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) launched the Minnesota “Speaks Up” Campaign, which will engage the nonprofit community in “Speaking Up” about what’s important to organizations and their communities.
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February

February 25, 2011 -
How much is too much to spend on social media marketing? How much is not enough? A new study by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofit (MCN) attempts to raise these questions with nonprofit organizations.
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September

September 20, 2010 -
During The Nonprofit State Fair next month, one of the largest gatherings of nonprofits across the country, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) and MAP for Nonprofits will recognize six of the state’s more than 5,000 charitable organizations with 2010 Nonprofit Mission and Excellence Awards.
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